Originally Posted by
3xLittle500
Hi, new poster here. I raced starting in the early 70s in Indianapolis and Hi-e products were quite well known. I recently picked up Cosmopolitan #11 from the original owner in pretty bad shape, but I’m hoping to resurrect it. It had been painted orange, but much of that paint is flaking away. If I were to have it repainted, I would lose/ need to replace the original stickers. Not sure whether perhaps to strip it and leave bare aluminum, etc. Before I tear into the parts, I’d like to know what is truly “unobtainium” and what stuff might still be out there. Any contact is appreciated.
Neat history. As for restoration vs. preservation, these bikes are now extraordinary rare. As the saying 'they're only original once' so in this case, I would lean towards preservation. Oozes character and more interesting. If you need decals, reach out to Gus Salmon (Winter Park, FL).
Parts have really dwindled and dispersed in the past decade. The CR list (classic rendezvous / google group) will probably trigger leads. Rims, hubs, skewers and pedals occasionally are found on eBay.